The Veteran's blackout spells, left hand disability, chronic bronchitis, and tinnitus are not service-connected as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.,For the bilateral foot disability (pes planus, left foot fibroma and hallux valgus), another VA examination is needed due to inadequate previous examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's blackout spells, left hand disability, chronic bronchitis, and tinnitus do not meet the criteria for service connection as there is no current evidence of these conditions or a link to service. The bilateral foot disability requires further evaluation to determine if it was aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- blackout spells, left hand disability, chronic bronchitis, tinnitus, bilateral foot disability (pes planus, left foot fibroma and hallux valgus), bilateral eye disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20054717
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20054717.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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